Since opening our doors in 2011, the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center has supported 174 team-based synthesis research projects focused on finding solutions to complex environmental problems. In our tenure, we've learned a few lessons about interdisciplinary collaboration along the way...

The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) brings together the science of the natural world with the science of human behavior and decision-making to find solutions to complex environmental problems. We convene science teams to work on broad issues of national and international relevance, such as water resources management, land management, agriculture, species protection, among other areas of study. By supporting interdisciplinary science teams and researchers with diverse skills, data, and perspectives, SESYNC seeks to lead in-depth research and scholarship that will inform decisions and accelerate scientific discovery. SESYNC is funded by an award to the University of Maryland from the National Science Foundation. Learn more about SESYNC.

The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center has rescheduled the 1.5-day workshop for September 12-13, 2019. The workshop will be held at SESYNC’s facilities in Annapolis, Maryland. SESYNC will provide funding for travel, lodging, and meals for on-site participants, and the workshop will also be web streamed for additional remote participants.

Solutions to pressing environmental problems require understanding connections between human and natural systems. Analysis of these systems requires a model that can deal with complexity, is able to exploit data from multiple sources, and is honest about the uncertainty from multiple sources. Synthesis of results from multiple studies is often required. Bayesian hierarchical models provide a powerful approach to analysis of socio-environmental problems.

Since opening our doors in 2011, the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center has supported 174 team-based synthesis research projects focused on finding solutions to complex environmental problems. In our tenure, we've learned a few lessons about interdisciplinary collaboration along the way...

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SESYNC is supported by an award from the US National Science Foundation (Grant #s DBI-1052875 and DBI-1639145) to the University of Maryland, with additional support from University of Maryland, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and Resources for the Future.